Harry Potter the Girl Who Lived
by foureyes88
Summary: Harry Potter has been waiting for a chance to prove that she is something special, now she has it. First fic, please let me know what you think of it.
1. Chapter 1

Harry Potter was born on July 31st to parents Lily and James Potter and godfathers Sirius Black and Remus Lupin. One might wonder why Peter Pettigrew, a former friend and member of the Mauraders, was not included on this list, however once it was discovered that Peter was loyal to Voldemort ,one would probably understand the dislike or even hatred of the rat.

Unfortunately that didn't stop Voldemort from breaking into the Potter home and killing James and Lily before turning on Harry and attempting to kill her as well.

Most people considered the name Harry odd for a girl, but her parents were said to be a little eccentric and that made her feel closer to them, so she didn't mind.

Harry Potter was a girl of eight with wavy black hair that just passed her shoulders and beautiful green eyes that were hidden by a pair of black frames.

She lived with her aunt, uncle and cousin in a house on Privet Drive in Surrey. Everything around her was considered to be normal including her family. Harry on the other hand, was something special; Harry was a witch, and an unusually bright one at that, not that she knew.

You see, her aunt decided on Harry's third birthday, after she had performed another bought of accidental magic, that telling Harry about her powers wouldn't help any.

Aunt Petunia as Harry called her, was not a very nice lady to most people. She liked to gossip and clean; that was about it. However, Harry had always considered herself lucky to be under Petunia's care because without her, she would have never learned how to cook or clean or garden, which were some of Harry's favorite things to do.

Harry learned at a very young age to stay away from her cousin Dudley because he was not a very nice boy. Dudley was an exceedingly pudgy young fellow and had a very bad disposition towards Harry because Aunt Petunia spent a lot of time teaching Harry how to cook and clean as well as how to read so that Harry might be able to read the labels on the cleaning supplies.

Currently it was summer and Harry could be seen outside watering the garden early in the morning before the sun got too hot. Harry enjoyed these quiet times because that was when she could think about all of the things she wanted to do for the day.

Because it was summer, Harry didn't have to go to school. However, this did not stop her from wanting to learn more. In fact, she would regularly go to the library to pick out books to read and educational videos to watch.

Her aunt often encouraged her to do this because it would keep Harry occupied for long periods of time and it gave Petunia a chance to take care of Dudley who required far more attention than Harry.

Today Harry was planning on going to the library as usual when something unusual happened that caused her to stray from her intended destination: Two of Dudley's friends were bullying a young boy of only six on the playground. Determined to do something about it, Harry marched towards them and shouted at them to let the boy go. Fortunately, they listened to her; unfortunately, that meant that they were now interested in bullying her instead. Realizing what was about to happen, Harry fervently wished she was at the library when something extraordinary happened.


	2. Chapter 2

Harry felt like she was being squeezed into an atom, she couldn't breathe. Suddenly, everything popped back into place, and Harry fell to the floor gasping. As she sat there, she noticed that the floor was covered in carpets.

Frantically, she looked around and immediately felt like there had to be something seriously wrong with her eyes. Everywhere she turned there were shelves and shelves of books.

_This can't be right_, she thought. Just to make sure that what she was seeing was indeed real Harry picked a book from the shelf and flipped it open.

"Well, this seems real enough" she said to herself as she slid the book back into place and began wandering between the stacks. Harry still felt shaken by what happened, and when she came to the chemistry section she stopped. Chemistry and biology were her favorite sciences, the human body and all its abilities fascinated her. She was so intrigued by it that she forgot all about what had just happened.

Looking over the titles she pulled out several books that looked interesting to her and sat down. Hours passed before Harry even thought of checking the time or even what library she was in. When she did, she startled and ran to the front desk.

"Excuse me," she said, "could you tell me what time it is?"Harry asked the librarian who was manning the front desk. Annoyed the librarian sighed and pointed her pencil with which she had been writing towards a large clock hanging on the wall.

Harry blushed, "Oh, thanks," she muttered and decided that since it was already six o'clock that perhaps it would be best if she left. Aunt Petunia would not be happy if Harry didn't show up in time to help with dinner.

Harry walked out the door and paused, looking around. The building across the street was very familiar to her; it was the school she had been attending for the last three years. She sighed in relief and continued on her way pausing only once or twice to pick some flowers for her aunt.

When Harry finally arrived at home Petunia was already waiting for her. "We're making pot roast tonight" Petunia said to Harry, "Vernon had a very good day at work today and I want to reward him," she continued. As they walked to the kitchen Petunia started listing things they would need to prepare in order to have dinner ready before Vernon got home.

Chopping and dicing has always had a calming effect on Harry. She loved the precision involved and although it was not necessarily needed, she enjoyed slicing and dicing in geometrically correct forms. Today she chopped the carrots and prepared the potatoes while Aunt Petunia worked on the meat itself.

As Harry worked she kept throwing long side glances at Petunia. With a sigh Petunia turned towards her niece and spoke, "What is it girl? You've been throwing looks my way since we entered the kitchen."

Harry hesitated and then said, "Something unusual happened to me today," she stopped and looked at her aunt, "something that is not physically possible…" she continued. Petunia threw her a sharp look, "what do you mean by something not physically possible?" she asked slowly, as if not wanting to know the answer.

"I performed what seems to me as being instantaneous teleportation" Harry responded looking nervously at her aunt, concerned that she wouldn't believe her. "You what?!?" Petunia gasped looking at Harry with wide eyes. "I think I performed some kind of teleportation" Harry said again, slowly, just in case.

Petunia had to sit down. "Why does this have to happen to me?" she said looking at the ceiling, "all I wanted was a normal life."Then Petunia took a deep breath and said, "Come here girl, we need to talk."


	3. Chapter 3

Harry sat down next to her aunt and waited patiently while Petunia worked up the nerve to tell Harry what she had always been dreading.

"_Harry,"_ she paused, "_there are some things that we didn't tell you about your parents."_ Petunia looked at her niece and continued, _"they weren't killed in a car crash, they were murdered by a psychopath."_

Harry felt faint, she had always wondered if it had been something else that had killed her parents, after all her dreams certainly didn't involve a car, but this was just a bit too much for her.

"_You're lying"_ she whispered, _"right? You're just saying things,"_ her voice getting louder with every word. _"Why did you say they died in a car crash? Huh? Why? How would that have made things any easier for me?"_ Harry was almost shouting at this point, before she remembered that she was talking to her aunt.

Petunia sighed, _"We weren't thinking of you when we said that, you know that Vernon isn't fond of you Harry, you stand for everything he despises."_ Harry looked down and started fiddling with her hands, tears forming in her eyes.

"_I know this is hard to hear but Harry there's more I need to tell you," _Petunia continued. _"But it can wait until tomorrow, Vernon is coming back soon and if he sees you like this he will not be happy, you know that."_

Harry nodded and wiped her eyes, then she sniffed a couple more times and went back to work.

Dinner went off without a hitch. Vernon didn't notice anything and Dudley was entranced by his TV and so didn't perceive anything else besides his food. After dinner Harry half heartedly cleaned the dishes before Petunia sent her to her room.

It wasn't until nine the next morning that Harry awoke. _How odd,_ Harry thought, _usually Aunt Petunia wakes me to make breakfast._ Shrugging Harry put on her clothes and went down the stairs and into the kitchen. There she found her aunt sitting at the table with a cup of coffee between her hands and a faraway look in her eyes.

When Harry walked over to the refrigerator and got herself some yogurt and strawberries, Petunia finally noticed her and motioned for Harry to sit beside her.

"_Harry there is something important I want to tell you,"_ Petunia looked at the girl and continued, _"there is more that you need to learn about your parents and yourself. You see,"_ Petunia paused, _"you and your parents are part of a hidden community in England, you're a witch Harry."_

Harry started, _"wait, what?"_ she said not believing what she just heard. _"I thought you said magic didn't exist, I thought… I don't even know what to think, how is this even possible?"_ Petunia sighed and put her head in her hands before continuing, _"Harry your mother was a witch too, as well as your scoundrel of a father, they met at their freakish school of theirs Hogwash or something."_

"_so, so what? I'm a freak?"_ Harry barely managed to say the words, a feeling of dread settling into her stomach. Petunia looked at the girl she raised for seven years and made an important decision right then.

"_No"_ Petunia responded gazing Harry in the eyes, _"no you're not, you are special Harry just like your mother, be happy you have that power, Lord knows it saved you before." _

The knot that formed in Harry's stomach loosened, _"so what do I do now?"_ she asked _"do you have anything I can learn from? Mind as well start now right?"_

Petunia nodded and then got up and motioned for Harry to follow her.


	4. Chapter 4

In the attic, Petunia pulled out a large dilapidated trunk and motioned for Harry to come over. _"This belonged to Lily, it was her school trunk, I'm certain that there are books in here that you will be able to use,"_ Petunia lectured.

"_Now, mind you,"_ she continued, _"if Vernon gets wind of this, then there is nothing I can do to help you. Do you understand?"_

Harry nodded adamantly. _"Yes, Aunt Petunia,"_ she said staring at her only connection to her mother. Gently, she ran her fingers across the top of the trunk until they came to the first latch.

Quickly, as if she just couldn't wait any longer, Harry flipped the first latch open and continued on to the others. When she finally opened the trunk, the first thing she noticed was:

_Man that's a lot of dust! _ She sneezed twice and then got herself under control, _Ok_, she thought, _this is Mom's trunk! Look at all those books, I wonder if I was like her… _Harry's thoughts were racing as she shifted through the numerous books that were in the trunk.

She finally stopped at a book called Hogwarts: A History_, this book looks like it might explain a few things,_ Harry thought before she set it aside to look at what seemed to be introductory books to several subjects completely unfamiliar to her.

It was not until after she had picked out all of those books that she noticed Petunia had left her up in the attic to sort things out for herself. Carefully, she balanced the stack of books on her arms and proceeded to walk down the steps of the attic and went into her room.

She dropped the books on her bed and ran up to the attic again to close the trunk, and then she came back down to hide the books under her bed. The next couple of days Harry learned about the fascinating place that was Hogwarts was and about the Wizarding World.

Harry spent most of the summer studying the different subjects that were covered in the primary books and even beginning to try out some of the spells. Of course this was done in the privacy of her room without the knowledge of her uncle or even her aunt, who preferred not to know what Harry was doing with all those freakish books.

Harry had a very hard time at first because she realized that she didn't have what the books called a wand. It took her several days to find what she thought would be a suitable stick that would act as one. Harry chose a maple branch and used some of the sandpaper from the garage to smooth it out.

After she finally had her wand prepared, things went far more smoothly. Although she was still only able to perform the most basic spells, she was excited by her progress and couldn't keep it to herself any longer.

"_Aunt Petunia,"_ she yelled excitedly, _"Aunt Petunia, can I show you something really amazing? Please can I? I just learned how to defy the laws of gravity!"_ she screeched before she skidded to a halt in front of her aunt.

Sighing Petunia looked down at Harry and said: _"Ok, Harry, let's see you defy gravity."_ Excitedly, Harry pulled a pen out of her pocket and then her maple wand. "_Wingardium Leviosa!"_ she chanted and, much to Petunia's disbelief, the pen rose several inches into the air before it slowly dropped to the table again.


	5. Chapter 5

Contrary to what one might think, considering Harry's love for learning, Harry did not like school in the least-- probably because her cousin Dudley made it miserable. Because of him, the girls teased her and the boys ignored her.

Without friends, Harry spent most of her time in the library and the classroom, not bothering to go out at recess. After school, however, was a different story.

Harry attended Tae Kwon Do classes five days a week since she started going to school. She became quite proficient at it and enjoyed it a lot.

The only other thing that Harry kept up with was her mother's school books. Harry had in fact come across Lily's diary in between some of the books and began reading about Lily's years at Hogwarts. She found everything about the school fascinating and couldn't wait to get her letter.

Harry even managed to get Petunia to take her to London to find the Leaky Cauldron. Unfortunately, the trip was a failed attempt, and Harry came home disappointed. In contrast, Petunia seemed relieved; seeing floating objects and things fixing themselves was a bit much for her. Seeing the entire Wizarding World would be too overwhelming.

So life for young Harry went on. She steadily made her way through the first year school books, and by the time she turned ten, started working on her mother's second year school books. At one point, she noticed that her wand became a lot shinier and smoother, and as she used it, she noticed that casting spells became a lot easier too.

On Harry's eleventh birthday, something came that she had been waiting for since she found out that she was a witch. When her uncle sent her to get the mail, she noticed a thick envelope with green ink on it addressed to her. Quickly, so that her Uncle Vernon and Dudley wouldn't see it, she stuffed it under her shirt and came back into the kitchen.

As she entered, she gave Petunia a significant look and handed Vernon the remaining mail. Patiently, Harry waited for Vernon and Dudley to finish their breakfast and go off to the living room to watch TV. As soon as they had walked out the room, Harry whipped out the letter and showed it to Petunia.

Although she had known this day would come, Petunia still felt slightly faint of heart when she saw the thick parchment paper that would announce what she believed to be Harry's doom.

All she had ever seen coming from the Wizarding World was death, and to send her niece into that world made her anxious. _Not that I really care for the girl,_ Petunia thought, _I just won't have a helper any more if she dies._

Gently Harry opened the letter and read its contents.

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore

_(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)_

Dear Ms. Potter,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

Term begins on September 1. We await your owl no later than by July 31.

Sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall

_Deputy Headmistress_

Harry was beside herself with pleasure. That was, until Uncle Vernon walked into the kitchen and saw the letter in Harry's hands.


	6. Chapter 6

"_What is the meaning of this?"_ Vernon shouted as he turned a hideous purple. He ripped the letter out of Harry's hands and started tearing it to shreds. _"No one in my house will have anything to do with that freakish school!" _he bellowed. _"I'm not paying for this! We took you in and put a roof over your head and clothes on your body, and this is how you thank us? Ungrateful brat."_

"_Vernon,"_ Petunia said sternly, _"if we don't let her go then she won't gain control over her power. Who knows what kind of freakish things will happen, then? Did you ever think about that?"_ Vernon stared at Petunia, completely put out. "_No…"_ he sighed, _"but I don't want any of that freakishness in this house do you understand, girl?"_

Harry nodded profusely. _"Yes Uncle Vernon."_ She couldn't believe her luck! Aunt Petunia had actually saved her. As Vernon left the room, Harry threw herself at Petunia and gave her a big hug.

Petunia was shocked to say the least, never had Harry ever come in physical contact with her that wasn't accidental, it took Petunia several seconds before she could respond and hugged Harry back.

Then she held her at arms length and said, _"Harry, if he catches you doing anything you know that I will not be able to help you again. Do you understand?"_ Harry nodded.

"_Now how are we going to get an owl?"_ Petunia wondered out loud. _"I know. I'm sure Mrs. Figg has an owl!"_ Harry looked at her aunt in surprise_._

"_Mrs. Figg is a witch?"_

"_No, actually no,"_ Petunia responded. _"I'm pretty sure she came from a magical family, though. I think she was moved here to watch over you."_

Harry shrugged and said, _"Ok, so are we going to go visit her, then?"_ Petunia nodded and went to get her purse while Harry put on her shoes. Together they walked down to Wysteria Lane where Mrs. Figg lived. When they arrived, Petunia rang the doorbell and together they listened as various cats started meowing, and mumbling could be heard before the door opened.

When Mrs. Figg opened the door, two cats ran out before there was anything she could do to stop them. She sighed and looked at Petunia and Harry, "Oh hello, dearies, what can I do for you today? I'm afraid I was going to go buy some cat food for my honeys, so I don't think I can babysit Harry today," she said.

"That's fine. We are actually here for an entirely different reason; We were wondering if you had an owl that Harry could use to send off her letter?" Petunia asked. Mrs. Figg started, "Oh my, well I…. I didn't know you were aware that I was a squib!"

"A what?" Harry asked leaning slightly forward as if she'd heard incorrectly. "A squib, my dear, a person born without magic to magical parents," Mrs. Figg explained. "Well, you're in luck," she said as she turned to Petunia and motioned for her to come in, "I've got just what you're looking for."

As they walked into her living room, Harry noticed for the first time an owl sitting on a stand in the corner of the room, sleeping. "Archie, wake up boy, I need you to take something to Dumbledore. You hear me?" Mrs. Figg stroked the owl's feathers and looked at Harry, "Well, do you have a return letter?"

"What? Oh yeah," Harry mumbled, distractedly staring at the owl. "Can I touch him?" she asked. Mrs. Figg nodded, and Harry reached out a hand and softly stroked Archie's feathers. "He's beautiful," she said admiringly and was surprised when the owl puffed out its chest at the comment. Mrs. Figg laughed, "don't compliment him too much, otherwise his head will get too big for his little body!"

"Well, give me the letter, Harry," Mrs. Figg said as she reached a hand out. Harry carefully placed the letter in her hand and watched as Mrs. Figg tied it to Archie's leg and then took him to the window. "Ok, Archie, you know where to go; fly fast!" and she lifted her arm so the bird could fly out the window.


	7. Chapter 7

"_That reminds me,"_ Petunia said as she turned to Mrs. Figg, _"could you tell us where Diagon Alley is? We've tried to find it before without luck." _

Mrs. Figg smiled, "_Why yes of course…"_ and she began explaining how to get there and what to do once they arrived.

Petunia and Harry bid their goodbyes and left Mrs. Figg's house feeling better than when they had arrived. Now all that was left to do was to go to Diagon Alley and then they were set.

It wasn't until later that evening when something interesting happened. It was nine when the doorbell rang. _"Girl, get the door,"_ Vernon growled., hHe had been in a perpetual bad mood since the letter arrived.

Harry, not wanting to make it any worse, rose from her seat in the living room and went to the door. When she opened it and saw who was standing there she had to stifle a gasp. There stood a very tall, dark haired man with a regal air surrounding him in what seemed to be black robes. He sneered at her reaction and stepped up to the door.

"_Potter I presume?"_ he said., _"mMy name is Severus Snape.; I am the Potions Master at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry." _

Harry nodded and stepped aside as to let him through the door. It was not until he was in the hallway that he really looked at her, at which point a strange look passed over his face and he uttered the name Lily. Shaking himself, his face settled back into a sneer and motioned for Harry to lead on.

As Harry lead Severus to the kitchen he made several observances;, one,: Harry seemed to be polite;, two:, there were no pictures of her anywhere he could see, but very many of what seemed to be a pink whale dressed in human clothes,; and three,: Harry looked and moved almost exactly like Lily did, except with black hair.

In the kitchen, Petunia was preparing some food for the next evening when Harry and Severus walked in the door. When she turned around she gasped and her eyes widened., _"Severus!"_ she said surprised. Severus nodded at her and signaled for them to sit.

"_I have come to discuss several things with you_." Severus said once all of them had sat down.

Petunia sighed and got up again to get a pad of paper and a pen, when she sat down again she looked pointedly at Severus., _"cContinue."_

"_Indeed,"_ Severus said sardonically., _"tThe first item we need to talk about is Harry's vault, I have the key here," _he pulled out a small gold key from his pocket and gave it to Harry.

"_You will want to keep that in a safe place,"_ he said to Harry and then continued on., _"Also the issue of school suppliess,. Petunia since you are a muggle it might be difficult for you and Harry to locate Diagon Alley by yourselves, so I am suggesting that I accompany Harry and help her with that."_

Petunia nodded and then asked, "_When will you be going?"_

Severus looked at Harry and then responded,. _"tTomorrow if possible, I will arrive to pick Harry up at nine in the morning."_

Harry looked excitedly at her aunt who nodded in response. _"By the way, what's a muggle?"_ Harry asked, _"isIs that a non magical person or something?"_

Severus looked at Harry in surprise, _"precisely,"_ he responded getting up, _"I will be taking my leave now, please be ready to leave by no later than nine." _

Harry followed Severus out the kitchen just in time to see Vernon walking out of the living room. _Uh-oh_, she thought, _this can't go well_.

Vernon looked Severus up and down and turned slightly red,. _"areAre you one of those freaks? What are you doing in my house, I will not allow more freaks in this house!"_ his voice becoming louder with each word.

Severus pulled himself to his full height, towering over Vernon and sneered at him, _"I think you fail to understand what the word freak means; otherwise you would know that you are in fact the definition of it." _Then he walked to the door and opened it, he nodded at Harry and Petunia and then left.


	8. Chapter 8

That night Harry could hardly sleep she was so excited.

1 am

2 am

3 am

4 am

Sleep.

Beep, beep, beep, beep, click. Harry shut off her alarm and rolled over. Then she sat up with a start. It was already eight! Quickly, Harry put on her glasses and stumbled out of bed. Quickly Swiftly, she put on the clothes she had laid out the night before and rushed downstairs to get breakfast.

As she ate, Harry thought of all the things she would be doing today. She couldn't wait to go to Gringotts Wizarding Bank, get her school supplies, and robes. She figured that since she already had a wand she wouldn't need to get one, _but who knows_, she wondered_, maybe wizards carry two wands_.

After Harry finished eating she put her dishes away and proceeded to get ready. At precisely nine o'clock the doorbell rang. Harry opened the door to reveal a calm Severus. "_Good morning Mr. Snape"_ Harry said greeting him.

"_Likewise,"_ Severus responded, "_are you ready to leave?"_

"_Yes."_ Harry almost jumped with excitement, "_how are we getting there?"_ she asked.

Severus answered her, _"I will be performing what is called sidelong apparition." _He took out his wand and held out his hand to Harry.

Before she took it though she looked at his wand and said, "_Yours looks very different from mine." _

Severus started, _"I beg your pardon? Do you mean to tell me that you have a wand?" _

"_Well yes, you need it to perform magic right? Well I got a nice maple branch that has been working very well for me. Would you like to see it?"_ Harry asked. Severus stared at her and nodded. Carefully Harry pulled her wand out of her backpack that she had taken with her and handed it over to Severus who then inspected it with great care.

"_This has no magical core!"_ he exclaimed. _"Do not tell anyone of this wand Harry, not even Dumbledore, they must not knoww,." _Severus said urgently.

"_Why?"_ Harry asked her head tilting to an angle as if she was examining Severus' reaction.

"_Because Harry_," he responded, _"people do not perform magic without a wand, and yours is most certainly not a true wand. We will have to get you another one and perhaps we can have Ollivander examine yours." _

Harry nodded and tucked her wand back into her backpack. Then she took his hand and waited for him to perform this apparition thing.

"_Wait!"_ Harry almost shouted, _"is this the thing where you are squeezed into an atom? I can do that by myself." _

Again Severus stared at her and then shook his head. "_While your ability to do that does not surprise me, you have never been to Diagon Alley if I am correct? How would you know where to apparate to?" _he asked.

"_Oh," _Harry said, _"I didn't think of that, sorry, lead on."_

Nodding, Severus raised his wand and suddenly Harry once again felt like she was being squeezed into an atom before it was over again.

If Severus hadn't been holding her hand she would have dropped to the floor again. Luckily he was though and she was able to maintain the facade that she was not fazed. Severus looked at her to check if she was alright and then turned to the brick wall in front of them and tapped the bricks.

Harry gasped when she saw what was behind the melting wall. "_This is amazing!"_ she whispered.


	9. Chapter 9

Before Harry was a cobblestone street filled with people and creatures and magical items. The view truly was fantastic. "_Where are we going first?_" Harry asked Severus.

Severus responded by pointing to a large white building with the name Gringotts displayed over the entrance. Together Harry and Severus made their way to the bank. In the entrance there was a large sign which said:

_Enter, stranger, but take heed_

_Of what awaits the sin of greed,_

_For those who take, but do not earn,_

_Must pay most dearly in their turn._

_So if you seek beneath our floors_

_A treasure that was never yours,_

_Thief, you have been warned, beware_

_Of finding more than treasure there._

"_What do they do if you steal something?"_ Harry questioned. Severus shrugged, and act that is not considered normal when it involves Severus.

As they walked over to the tellers, it must be noted that for never having seen goblins before Harry was acting extraordinarily mature about the whole situation. Severus admired that in Harry, not that he would ever voice that thought. To anyone, Severus had a reputation to maintain.

While they waited in line, Harry took the time to look around and admire the architecture as well as all of the different kinds of people that were currently present in the bank.

Once they reached the front of the line, things moved a lot more quickly from then on. Harry and Severus were introduced to Griphook, who then proceeded to take them to a cart and then drive with astonishing speed to Harry's vault.

When Griphook finally opened her vault, Harry couldn't hold back the gasp that had been building since they entered Gringotts. In the vault there were three enormous piles of coins, separated by value Harry assumed.

She sent a questioning look at Severus who then proceeded to tell her about Galleons, Sickles, and Knuts, and what their conversion rate was in terms of muggle money. _"How much do you suggest I take?" _Harry asked Severus.

"_Fifty Galleons and fifty Sickles should be a decent amount, keep in mind that in the following years you will not need as much because you will not be replacing everything that you will be buying today," _Severus responded.

Harry nodded and proceeded to count out the mentioned amount and then put the money into an extra bag that she had stuffed into her backpack. When she finished Griphook, Severus and Harry climbed back into the cart and made their way back to the surface.

Once they had made their way out of the bank Harry and Severus paused, "_where do you think we should go to next?"_ Harry asked.

Severus thought for several moments before he made his decision. _"Let us go to Ollivander's first so that he can look at your wand and perhaps get you a proper one." _Harry nodded and waited for Severus to show the way before she followed him down the road.

At the end of the road Severus came to a stop in front of what seemed to be an abandoned building with nothing but a dusty wand in the store front.

He opened the door and motioned Harry to go in. Cautiously Harry stepped over the threshold into the store and looked around. Everywhere there were narrow boxes crowded into any space they could fit.

"_Ah… Ms. Potter, I have been waiting for you…"_ came a voice from behind Harry.


	10. Chapter 10

Harry jumped in surprise and turned to see an ethereal looking old man coming out of the shadows. As she looked into his eyes Harry felt as though he could see into her soul.

Ollivander, for that is who he was, then turned to Severus and smiled, _"Ah… Severus Snape, 15 inch Ash wand with a Dragon Heartstring core, good for hexes, how is that working out for you?"_

"_Very well, thank you,"_ Severus responded. _"Now Harry has something to show you that I think you may find very interesting." _He motioned for Harry to take out her wand.

Carefully Harry did as Severus instructed and handed the wand over to Ollivander who took it reverently.

"_My my my, what have we here,"_ Ollivander mumbled to himself as he inspected the wand with great care.

"_Merlin! It doesn't have a core, but then why does it seem to be infused with so much magic?"_ As if having forgotten that Harry and Severus where in the room, Ollivander went off with the wand to one of the back rooms and began running all sorts of tests.

After what seemed to be ages Ollivander returned with a large smile on his face. _"Harry, it looks like I will have to create a special wand just for you! I haven't made a custom wand in ages, this will be interesting indeed."_ Harry looked over at Severus with wide eyes. He in turn looked just as surprised.

All along Ollivander was digging through various drawers bulling out what seemed to be miscellaneous objects and placing them on the counter in front of him. Then he beckoned Harry to move her hand above each object and told her to let him know what she felt with each one. Severus leaned forward with interest watching as Harry put her hand above each object and described what she felt.

It wasn't until the ninth object that something happened. As soon as Harry moved her hand above what seemed to be a scale it started glowing and shooting off sparks.

Ollivander clapped in delight and immediately took the scale and said, _"The Chimera Scale, a very rare, yet powerful magical core, paired with your maple branch you will have a very interesting set of skills I am sure."_ Then he went back into his workroom and started putting together a wand for Harry.

At this point Severus had become somewhat impatient and turned to Harry. _"I think that I will go to the apothecary and buy your potions supplies for you. When you are finished here, meet me at Flourish and Blots, the bookstore at the front of the Alley understand?" _he asked. Harry nodded and then Severus proceeded out the door.

It took Ollivander another twenty minutes to complete the wand and when he finally gave it to Harry. As she took it, for the first time ever, she felt tingles racing up her arm and into her center. She felt complete for the first time. Just to test it she performed the first spell she ever learned and was surprised by the results.

The book that Harry had been aiming at shot into the air and hit the ceiling with a large thump. Harry squeaked in surprise and lost her concentration, causing the book to fall back to the ground.

"_Well Harry,"_ Ollivander said ominously, _"it looks like you will have to learn how to control your wand a little better, but I believe that you will be able to do great things, just as the one who gave you your scar did great things, terrible yes, but great."_


	11. Chapter 11

Harry walked down Diagon Alley quietly observing its visitors as she made her way to Flourish and Blotts. When she entered the storestore, she stood still for a moment, taking in the stacks upon stacks of books lined up throughout the store. "_I'm in heaven,"_ she breathed.

Slowly she made her way through the stacks, reading the titles of the books and pulling out everything that looked interesting. It was only after she had pulled out _Hogwarts: A History_ that she remembered that she already had it and that she still had to get her school books.

Dejectedly, she slid the book back into place and started looking for the books on her school list. Once she found thesethese, she brought them up to the front desk along with some of the other books she had found. The man at the front desk was very friendly and even offered Harry a bag that had a feather light charm on it.

It was only when Harry wiped her brow in exhaustion from carrying all the books to the front desk that when something peculiar happened. The bookkeeper just happened to look up as Harry was doing so and glimpsed something he had only heard about in stories. A lightning bolt scar!

"_Merlin,"_ he breathed, _"Harry Potter, it is an honor to finally meet you!" _He grabbed her hand and started shaking it enthusiastically. Harry at this point was completely taken by surprise. She hadn't realized that people knew her in the wizarding world.

Confused, she asked the bookkeeper,, _"excuse me, it's nice to meet you too, but how did you know my name?" _

Shockedthe bookkeeper gasped, putting his hand over his heart, _"Why, your scar of course!"_ He answered and brushed away Harry's bangs that were covering her scar.

Harry nodded and thanked the bookkeeper again and made her way towards the door where she found Severus waiting. _"Severus," _she asked, _"how did I get my scar?" _

Severus almost tripped, _"you don't know?" _he asked. Harry shook her head. Severus sighed and said, _"This is a long story, why don't we finish up your shopping first before we get into this."_

Harry once again nodded and motioned for Severus to lead the way.

He lead Harry to a shop called Madam Malkins, which seemed to be some kind of clothing store, except it only showed robes in the front window. When Harry entered the shop a middle- aged woman hurried and took Harry by the arm and lead her to a stool while asking, _"Hogwarts dear?"_

Without waiting for a reply, she began measuring Harry and hurried off to get some cloth. It was then that Harry noticed a boy standing next to her on a similar stool looking extremely bored.

"_Hi,"_ Harry said,_ "are you going to Hogwarts as well?" _

The boy gave Harry a bored look and nodded. _"What house do you think you'll be in?"_ he asked her.

Harry thought for a moment and then answered, _"Well, I know all the general characteristics of the houses, but I think I'll just let the hat choose for me."_

"_Your parents told you about the sorting process too?"_ the boy asked, looking a little more interested. Harry shook her head and said, _"No, my parents are dead, I read it in my mother's diary."_

"_Oh,"_ the boy said uncomfortably, _"sorry about your parents_."

Harry nodded and said, _"It's ok, I never knew them so I don't feel too bad about it."_

"_Alright dearie, you're done now, go find your parents," _the woman who ran the shop said to the boy. Relieved, he jumped off the stool and moved towards the entrance.

"_Wait!"_ Harry called, _"what's your name?"_

The boy looked at her and said, _"Draco Malfoy,"_ and proceeded to walk out the door.


	12. Chapter 12

When Harry was finished at Madam Malkins, she and Severus went to the Magical Menagerie so that Harry could pick an animal to take to Hogwarts with her. Severus almost bumped into Harry as they entered the store because once she had entered she stopped and stared. "This place is amazing!" Harry gasped.

Quickly she moved to the first cages looking at all the different animals that were living in them. There were little fuzz balls with only one eye that seemed to be running around in circles labeled Cyclones; kittens could be seen and frogs and lizards in every known color, and further in the back of the store there were large tanks filled with snakes that all seemed to be talking at once.

Harry stopped., Wait, she thought, talking snakes? She turned to Severus who was standing behind her and asked, "Do all snakes talk in the Wizarding World?"

Severus stared at her with wide eyes and then looked to the sky and mumbled, "Why did she have to be a Parselmouth?" then he looked back down at her and said, "actually Harry they aren't talking per sayse, you can just understand what they are saying."

Now it was Harry's turn to stare at Severus with wide eyes. "Harry, listen to me this is very important," Severus continued, "not many people can do what you do, actually the only other person in recent history who was known to be able to do that was the Dark Lord himself!" Harry nodded and glanced frightfully at the snakes, then she made her way back to the front of the store where she noticed another room.

When she entered it she gasped. In it where hundreds of birds of every shape and size! Out of nowhere a large white snow owl flew at Harry and landed on her shoulder. Harry almost screamed in surprise having never been quite so close to such a majestic avian.

"Finally," came a voice from behind Harry, she jumped in surprise and the owl let out a disgruntled hoot. Harry turned around to face a bored looking young man who she had seen earlier at the front desk. "That owl," he continued, "has been with us since birth, and it hasn't chosen anyone before you." Harry looked at the owl perched on her shoulder and gently stroked its feathers.

"I'm honored," she said then she turned to the shopkeeper, "how much do I owe you?"

It was a very happy Harry in the company of a beautiful snow owl and Severus that walked out of the store a short time later. "As I have already purchased your potions equipment for you, the last stop we have is to get you a trunk so that you may place all of your things in it," Severus said taking hold of some of Harry's bags and leading her to a shop that had tons of trunks laying about.

With Severus' help Harry picked out a very nice trunk that had three compartments, one for books, one for school supplies, and one for clothing and personal items. Once she had bought the trunk and placed all of her items in it, Harry along with her owl and Severus made their way to the Leaky Cauldron.

In the bar Severus sought out an empty booth in the back and motioned for Harry to follow him. He then signaled to Tom the barkeeper who nodded and made his way over to their table. "Two meals and two Butterbeers please," Severus said to Tom and turned back to Harry, "now let me tell you about your parents…"


	13. Chapter 13

Harry returned to Privet Drive with mixed feelings. The information she learned about herself and her parents haunted her. She gave Petunia a half hearted greeting before she dragged herself up the stairs and into her room, where she fell onto her bed exhausted. In a matter of minutes Harry was sleeping, albeit fitfully.

The next morning Harry got up early to make breakfast for the family. As she prepared the meal she felt her muscles loosen in her neck and back. By the time Petunia came downstairs Harry was humming to herself while making scrambled eggs and frying bacon.

"You seem to be doing better today," Petunia commented as she moved to set the table. Harry nodded and continued tending the bacon and eggs. Five minutes later, probably from the smell of the bacon, Dudley walked into the kitchen, followed by Vernon.

After breakfast Harry and Petunia cleaned up the kitchen together and later Harry dragged Petunia upstairs to her room to show her all of the new things that Harry had gotten at Diagon Alley.

Petunia made a slight face at the thought but followed Harry none the less and even showed some enthusiasm when Harry opened up her trunk, showing off the different compartments.

"Just think Aunt Petunia, when I am of age I could do all the cleaning with a spell and you wouldn't have to worry about a thing!" Harry said enthusiastically. Petunia smiled and nodded, "So," she paused, "what does your wand look like?"

Harry smiled and pulled it out of her trunk, and reverently handed it over to Petunia who took it carefully. The wand was beautiful to say in the least, the delicate light colored wood was infused with red veins along its length and the grip was made of deep red cherry wood. It was long and very thin but pliable.

Petunia handed the wand back to Harry, who then tucked it back in her trunk.

The last couple of days before Harry had to leave where quiet ones. She read over her books again, skimming them in case there were differences from her mother's books. Harry also helped Petunia clean the house once more before she left.

The morning of her departure Harry woke up very early despite having been up late going over everything to make sure that all of her things where packed.

Harry sat on her bed holding Hedwig and petting her feathers, waiting for it to be time to make breakfast. At precisely seven o'clock she went downstairs and started getting all of the necessary ingredients to make pancakes out.

As she stirred the ingredients together, Harry felt herself calming down. By the time the rest of the family had made it down to the kitchen a stack of pancakes was already waiting.

The ride to London was tense to say in the least, Vernon was not happy at all. He had wanted to let Harry take the bus, but Petunia convinced him otherwise, saying that when they were in London they could go buy Dudley more clothes for his year at Smeltings. That mollified Vernon somewhat.

At King's Cross Petunia and Harry got out of the car. Vernon and Dudley were unwilling to help out and agreed to stay in the car. Together Harry and Petunia walked to Platform 9 and 10. Once there they found the barrier between the two that would lead them to Platform 9 ¾. Petunia having remembered from the time she went with Lily, explained to Harry exactly what she had to do in order to get to the Platform.

Harry nodded as she listened and once Petunia was finished Harry threw herself at her and gave Petunia a big hug.

Despite herself, Petunia began feeling teary eyed and to hide it from Harry she urged her to go on through the barrier.

With a determined look Harry took hold of her cart, making sure that Hedwig was secure in her cage, she started to roll towards the barrier.


	14. Chapter 14

Harry gasped in pleasure. Platform 9 ¾ was exactly as she imagined it would be. The Hogwarts Express was huge red and gleaming before her. She was so excited she forgot to move and as a result a group of redheads bumped into her as they were coming through the barrier. Harry tripped but luckily nothing fell and one of the boys helped her up.

She thanked him and moved back towards her cart. "Do you need any help with that?" the redhead asked.

"Actually," Harry said, "yes, could you help me find an empty compartment so I can put my stuff there?" He nodded and yelled at one of his brothers to come over. Together the twins, for that was what they were as Harry soon noticed, grabbed her trunk, while she took hold of Hedwig's cage.

All three made their way towards the train. Once they climbed in Harry led the way looking through the windows of the doors to see which compartment was empty. When she found one she opened the door and set Hedwig on one of the benches. The twins heaved the trunk up onto the baggage carrier and then sat down for a moment.

"By the way, I'm Fred" one of the twins introduced himself, "and this is George, if you need anything let us know ok?" Harry nodded and added, "Thanks guys, I'm Harry."

Fred and George looked at her strangely for a moment and then nodded. "Well," George said while patting his belly, "I think it's time for us to go, I'm hungry and our mother packed us some sandwiches." Together the twins got up to leave. "Thanks again," Harry said as they walked out of the compartment.

Harry climbed onto the bench and opened her trunk from the overhead compartment. From there she got out her potions book and settled down for the train ride.

It wasn't long before Harry was interrupted in her reading. A girl her age with bushy brown hair stepped into her compartment dragging a trunk in after her. "Do you mind if I join you?" she asked.

"No, come in," Harry said and moved to help the girl put her trunk in the overhead compartment. "I'm Harry by the way," she added as an afterthought.

"I'm Hermione, but you can call me Mione if you want," Mione said shyly. Harry smiled at her and sat down across from Mione.

The compartment sunk into silence as both girls started reading their respective books. Neither noticed when the train started moving.

Harry was just reading about bezoars when she heard a knock on the compartment door. Startled she looked up and saw Draco looking in. She smiled and waved him in. Draco looked relieved to say in the least and opened the door.

"Hey," Harry welcomed Draco, "how are you?" Draco grimaced and sat down beside her. "Great," he said sarcastically, "what's your name again?" he asked.

"I'm Harry," she replied, "and this is Mione." Mione nodded at him before she went back to her reading.

"So," Draco paused, "what are you reading?" Harry looked down at the book in her hands and then back at Draco. "Potions," she replied.

"Really," Draco said looking a lot more interested all of a sudden. "Yes, I think it will be one of my favorite subjects," Harry said, "it's just so interesting you know?"

"Kind of like chemistry," Mione said with an interested look on her face. "Chemistry?" Draco looked confused, "what's that?"

Apparently, that was the right thing to say because Mione launched into explanation, with some input from Harry.


	15. Chapter 15

It was only after Draco started looking uncomfortable that Mione stopped talking about Chemistry.

"What's wrong?" she asked, concerned. Draco sent her a furtive look and said, "You're muggleborns." It was a statement that made it sound like it was a bad thing.

A tense silence settled over the compartment as all three stared at each other. Harry, who didn't know how to deal with the situation got her book out and started reading again. Draco and Mione followed suit.

Not one of them said a word until a distraught looking boy knocked on their compartment door. Harry looked up startled and when she saw the boy she motioned for him to come in. Nervously he slid open the compartment door and stood fidgeting before the three children.

"Can we help you?" Harry asked after waiting for several minutes. The boy smiled sheepishly and said, "Yeah, sorry, have you seen a toad? He's about this big," the boy motioned with his hands, "and a greenish brown."

Harry chuckled, "sorry can't say I have but maybe if you were more descriptive we could help you look," she said nodding towards Mione and Draco who nodded in consent. The boy sighed in relief and launched into a description about just what his toad looked like.

Neville, as he later introduced himself, seemed to have broken the ice that had settled over the three original occupiers of the compartment. With their help, he was able to find his toad Trevor in no time, later they even invited him to join them in their compartment.

After Neville joined them Harry, Mione, and Draco all felt a lot better. It wasn't long before it was time to change into their robes as they neared Hogwarts and the boys went to the bathroom to change and leave the girls some privacy.

When they got off the train there was a huge crowd of students on the platform. Through it all Harry could hear a booming voice yelling "Firs' years, firs' years o'er here, firs' years!" Harry grabbed Mione's hand, who then grabbed Neville's who grabbed Draco's. Together they snaked their way through the crowd towards the voice.

It turned out the large voice had come from an equally large man. He was incredibly tall, taller in fact than any human Harry had ever seen. But she didn't feel intimidated by him because when she looked into his beady eyes she could see a truly friendly soul behind them.

As directed by the giant, four to a boat, the four friends, for that was what they secretly considered each other, chose one for themselves. Harry and Mione sat on one of the benches and Draco and Neville sat on the other.

When all of the first years were boarded the giant tapped his boat with a small pink umbrella and all of the boats started floating forward. Harry observed the scenery, there was nature all around them, everything she saw was so beautiful.

"Here it comes kids!" the giant shouted so all of them could hear. A collective gasp could be heard amongst the first years as the school came into view. "Wow!" Mione said under her breath, "that's amazing!" Harry nodded in agreement, staring at the castle with wide eyes.

"We're going to be living there!" Neville said with excitement, before he blushed under the stares of the other three. Harry smiled at Neville and then turned back to view the school.

"Alright everyone duck!" the giant shouted once again as they floated towards a giant cave. A few of the children ducked but most didn't after realizing that only the giant really needed to. Harry laughed to herself as she noticed this and whispered her realization to Mione. She grinned and leaned back towards Draco and told him what Harry said. Draco laughed and turned to Neville who was grinning as well, he had heard.

When they docked on the rocky beach right beside the castle Harry and the others carefully got out of the boat. Suddenly they heard a cry and a splash and turned to see what had happened.

A red headed boy, who looked similar to the twins that had helped Harry before, stood up out of the water, soaking wet. A few children laughed before a voice behind them muttered a drying charm.

Surprised, Harry turned back to see a middle aged woman with a tight bun and stern features with her wand out.

"Here are the children," the giant said to the lady. She nodded and said "Thank you Hagrid," with a Scottish accent. "If you would follow me," she continued as she turned back towards the door she had come from.


	16. Chapter 16

The entrance hall was impossibly large and many of the students gasped in astonishment. The four friends whispered to each other excitedly pointing towards various things that caught their eye. Harry started in surprise when she saw that the portraits lining the walls were actually moving. She elbowed Hermione in the side and pointed her finger towards them.

"Amazing!" Hermione breathed, "I wonder what sorts of enchantments they use to make them come alive."

Harry nodded and turned towards Draco and Neville as they entered a small antechamber just off the hall. "Do you guys know how they make the portraits?" she asked them. Both shook their heads and Draco was about to say something when Professor McGonagall began to speak.

"Welcome to Hogwarts, The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses." The Professor paused for effect and then continued on, "The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room. "

She continued talking about the different houses and the idea behind the house points and the house cup. Harry, who was only listening with one ear thought about what the Professor had said about housemates. She frowned in concentration, Harry realized that she and her friends would most likely not end up in the same houses and she wondered how they would work that out.

Harry returned her attention to what Professor McGonagall was saying in time to hear that the Sorting Ceremony would begin in several minutes. The woman then turned to leave and said, "I will return shortly and we will begin the Sorting, please wait quietly." As she said this she looked pointedly at the red-headed boy and the other children surrounding him.

When the Professor left the children burst out in whispers, "how do you think we'll be sorted?" one asked. The red-head, Ron as he introduced himself to several of the boys, said rather boldly, "my brothers told me we had to fight a troll!" Some of the students gasped.

Draco shook his head and motioned the other three closer. "My father told me that we get sorted by a hat," he said. Neville nodded implying that this was something he had heard as well.

"What are we going to do if we get sorted into different houses?" Hermione asked with concern. "I don't know," Neville said uneasily, "maybe we can find a room or something where we can study together or something?"

Harry nodded in agreement, "that's a good idea Neville! Let's do that tomorrow, since we are starting classes the day after." Neville flushed at the praise and looked at the floor. Draco patted his back and leaned over to whisper something in his ear when a couple students screamed.

Harry and Hermione look up to where the others were pointing and almost jumped in fright. Floating above them were about twenty ghosts. They seemed to be arguing about the presence of another ghost who was apparently a lot of trouble.

Harry was about to say something when Professor McGonagall returned. "The Sorting Ceremony is about to begin, please form a line and follow me," she said sternly.

The Great Hall was an incredibly beautiful room. It had four long tables where students sat and one at the front of the hall for the teachers. The room was lit by thousands of candles floating in mid air above the table. The ceiling was the most amazing part for it looked as though it was open to the sky.

"It's enchanted to look like the sky," Hermione whispered. Harry nodded remembering having read about it in _Hogwarts: A History_.

Harry noticed how a hush spread across the hall when Professor McGonagall silently placed a four-legged stool in front of them. On top of it she placed an old hat. Nothing happened for a few moments until the hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth and it began to sing,

"_Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,_

_But don't judge on what you see,_

_I'll eat myself if you can find a_

_A smarter hat than me._

_You can keep your bowlers black,_

_Your top hats sleek and tall,_

_For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat_

_And I can cap them all._

_There's nothing hidden in your head_

_The Sorting Hat can't see,_

_So try me on and I will tell you _

_Where you ought to be._

_You might belong in Gryffindor,_

_Where dwell the brave at heart,_

_Their daring, nerve, and chivalry_

_Set Gryffindors apart;_

_You might belong in Hufflepuff,_

_Where they are just and loyal,_

_Those patient Hufflepuffs are true _

_And unafraid of toil;_

_Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,_

_If you've a ready mind,_

_Where those of wit and learning,_

_Will always find their kind;_

_Or perhaps in Slytherin_

_You'll make your real friends,_

_Those cunning folk use any means_

_To achieve their ends._

_So put me on! Don't be afraid!_

_And don't get in a flap _

_You're in safe hands (though I have none)_

_For I'm a Thinking Cap!"_

The hall burst into applause and the hat bowed to the four tables before it went silent again. Professor McGonagall then stepped forward with a long scroll in her hands. "When I call your names you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to sorted." She paused and then called out the first name, "Abbott, Hannah!"


	17. Chapter 17

The first of the four to be called up to be sorted was Hermione. Nervously she walked up to the stool, placed the hat on her head and sat down. Harry watched as Mione sat on the stool, a look of concentration plastered on her face. After a minute of contemplation the hat seemed to make its decision and yelled, "GRYFFINDOR!"

The table on the far left started clapping and cheering and Hermione, assuming that it was the Gryffindor table made her way over after casting a look over to the other three, each of them promptly giving a smile and a thumbs up. Relieved, she sat down near the red-headed twins and watched the ceremony continue.

When Professor McGonagall called Neville's name he almost fainted in fear. Harry and Draco gave him comforting pats on the back while simultaneously pushing him forwards towards the stool. Nervously Neville pulled the hat over his head and sat down. The hat seemed to be taking even longer than it had with Hermione and Harry looked around nervously trying to see if this was unusual. However as she looked she only noticed expressions of curiosity and Harry promptly felt better.

Finally the hat looked decided, underneath it Neville had a confident face and when the hat yelled out "HUFFLEPUFF!" He took the hat off and carefully placed it on the stool before he walked over to the cheering Hufflepuff table. From there he waved at the other three with a happy grin on his face.

It was Draco's turn after several more first years and when his name was called he looked once at Harry before he strode confidently forward. Draco had mentioned before that he thought he would be placed in Slytherin just like everyone in his family, and true to his word the hat had barely touched his head before it yelled out, "SLYTHERIN!" Draco smirked and sauntered over to the Slytherin table before making eye contact with the other three.

Eventually it was Harry's turn and when McGonagall called her name the hall went silent. Nervous, Harry stepped forward and the hall burst out in whispers. Briefly she looked over towards her friends to see their faces full of shock. Eager to be away from the stares she took the hat and pulled it over her head until it covered her eyes.

"Harry Potter eh?" whispered a small voice in her ear, " well this will be interesting," it paused again and Harry felt as though everything in her head was being shuffled like a deck of cards.

"Could you please not do that?" Harry asked quietly. The hat jumped, "you can feel that?" it asked and when Harry nodded it became still.

"Well from what I've seen you are very loyal to those you care for, and cunning to say in the least, brave and willing to stand up for what you believe in, and my what a mind!" the hat mused.

"Where to put you? Where to put you?" It mumbled, and then it asked, "Would you mind if I take one more quick look?"

Harry nodded slowly and then felt her head being shuffled again. "It seems to me that there is only one place to put you really," the hat paused and then yelled, "RAVENCLAW!"

"Good luck Harry, you will do well," the hat said right before she took it off and walked over to the loudly cheering Ravenclaw table.

Once she was seated she made eye contact with each of her friends and mouthed "later". Each nodded and they all turned back towards their respective tables and waited for the last few students to be sorted.

When Professor McGonagall finally rolled up her scroll Dumbledore stood up and made a short speech,

"Welcome! Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!"

As soon as he sat back down food appeared on all the tables and the students all began serving themselves food, eager and hungry.


	18. Chapter 18

After dinner the prefects called all the students to order and motioned the first years to follow their respective gender towards their common rooms and dormitories. To Harry it seemed like forever before they had arrived in front of a portrait of Rowena Ravenclaw just past the entrance of the library. Harry knew that she should worry about not remembering all the twists and turns that brought her to this point, however at this moment she just felt drained.

"Knowledge is the light" one of the prefects whispered to the portrait and then turned towards the first years. "In order to enter the commons area you must speak this password, as you can see, it grants you entrance to the room," the prefect pointed to the door that had now materialized in place of the portrait. The other prefect opened the door and motioned for the young ones to enter.

Despite feeling tired Harry could not help put stare in amazement of the room she was now in. It was huge and the wall on the far side was covered in floor to ceiling windows. Another one of the walls was covered by bookshelves filled with books and the other had a beautiful grand fireplace with seats all around it. The whole room was shrouded in a deep blue and the ceiling seemed to pay homage to the Great Hall copying it's enchantments of viewing the sky above.

On either side of the fireplace were openings into two hallways which lead to the dormitories. Harry followed the girl prefect as she made her way towards the girl's dormitory. Once in the hall, there were several little rooms leading off of it. The prefect explained that these were study areas for the students if they needed a quite place to learn.

The prefect led them through one of these rooms and at the other end was the door to their sleeping quarters and bathrooms. Once in it, all Harry did was locate her trunk, which was at the far end of the room next to the window, and pull out some night clothes before she got ready for bed and lay down.

It only took a few minutes for Harry to fall asleep.


	19. Chapter 19

The next morning Harry woke up early. Eager to see her friends she got ready for breakfast and went down to the commons area, determined to ask one of the older students for directions to the dining hall.

As Harry entered the commons, she noticed that there were only a few other students awake. One of them was a short Asian girl who looked to be about a year older than Harry herself. Harry tentatively picked her way across the room, avoiding the furniture all around, until she stood right in front of the girl sitting on a very comfortable looking chair reading a book. Anxiously Harry cleared her throat, as she waited for the girl to look up she shifted around nervously, eager to get going.

When the girl looked up to see who was trying to get her attention, she smiled at the sight of Harry.

"Hi, I'm Cho Chang, can I help you with anything?" she asked, still smiling. Harry nodded and cleared her throat again before asking, "Um yeah, could you tell me how to get to the dining hall? I don't want to get lost."

Cho nodded and closed her book, "Of course, let me just get my book bag and I'll walk down with you." Harry sighed in relief and stepped aside so that Cho could run up to her dormitory to get her bag. When she came back down, looking slightly flustered after running, Cho and Harry made their way out of the commons and to the dining hall.

The walk was relatively quiet, Cho was thinking about her classes and Harry about how she was going to explain to her friends why she had chosen to leave out her last name during introductions. Once they entered the hall Harry thanked Cho and then rushed over to where some of her friends were already sitting.

Both Hermione and Neville were sitting at the Hufflepuff table, their heads ducked towards each other talking quietly. As Harry approached both looked up and smiled and waved her over. Harry, who had been somewhat apprehensive, let out a relieved sigh and rushed over to them.

Hermione patted the seat next to her and Harry plopped down heavily, letting her book bag slide down her arm and land on the floor.

"How are you guys?" she asked excitedly, "What are your houses like, do you like them?" Neville chuckled lightly at Harry's enthusiasm and proceeded to describe his experience in great detail, pausing only for questions that the girls asked. When he was finished, Harry and Neville turned their attention to Hermione who went on to tell about her evening.

By the time Hermione had finished most of the dining hall was beginning to fill up and Draco, after looking around briefly walked down the row separating the Hufflepuff and Slytherin tables and sat across from Harry, Neville, and Hermione at the Slytherin table.

All three greeted him with enthusiasm before they turned their attention to Harry's story. Harry hesitated at first and then began to explain why she had omitted her last name when they had all first introduced each other.

"Well," Harry began, " I didn't really think it was necessary to say my last name when we started talking, that and based on my previous experiences I figured it would probably be a good idea to leave it out in case people started interrupting us just because I happened to be Harry Potter."

"I hope that wasn't too presumptuous of me…" she added and looked at her friends. All three nodded their heads and Hermione even said, "That was probably the best way to go about it, it's not like a name matters that much right?" Neville nodded in agreement, but Draco frowned.

"I disagree," he said, "I know that in the society I grew up in, the name is everything." He looked down at his hands and continued, "A lot of the old family names carry a lot of weight, but I do understand why you chose to leave yours out of it Harry, I know what that's like."

Harry smiled and thanked Draco. It was then that all four noticed that the hall had been filled and most students were already eating breakfast. Both Harry and Hermione noted that they should probably be sitting at their respective tables, and promptly said their goodbyes to the boys before each made her way over to her own house table.

At the Ravenclaw table Harry looked around to find somebody to sit with when she saw that a space was free next to Cho. Briefly she touched Cho's shoulder and asked her if it would be acceptable if Harry could sit there. Cho smiled up at her from her seated position and pulled at Harry's arm to get her to sit down next to her. As soon as Harry sat down she introduced herself to Cho and several of the girls around them.


End file.
